Bookholder



Feb. 13, 1934.

R. W. MASON BOOKHOLDER Filed June 19, 1933 Patented Feb. 13, 1934 PATENTOFFICE UNITED STATES 4 Claims.

My invention relates to book holders and more particularly to a devicefor holding books, magazines or newspapers in the open position. Certainobjects of the invention are to provide a book i holder comprising apair of book rest members pivotally connected together and to a baseboard member, together with means whereby the book rest members areretained in a raised position for holding books and the like. Furtherobjects i are to provide a book holder that is completely foldablewithin itself in the form of a closed book, and which comprises novelfoldable bracket supports, novel foldable bracket clips for holding thepages of a book, novel extension arms for holding newspapers, and othernovel details of construction as hereinafter set forth.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction,adaptation, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedand claimed. These objects are accomplished by devices illustrated inthe accompanying drawing; wherein: Figure 1 is a view in perspective ofthe device; Fig. 2 is a view in transverse vertical section of the same;Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section showing one of thehinges for retaining the book rest members together; Fig. 4 is a detailplan view showing the bracket and extension arm arrangement; Fig. 5

vis a view in rear elevation of the device; and Fig. 6 is a detail viewin vertical section showing the spring clip for retaining the leaves ofa book in the open position.

Referring to the drawing throughout which like reference numeralsindicate like parts, the

numeral 5 designates a base board having upstanding iiange strips 6secured to its rear and end edges, and an outwardly rounded strip '7secured to its front edge and resembling the back of a book so that thedevice as a whole, when in the closed position as hereinafter set forth,resembles a closed book. The top of the device comprises a major bookrest member 8 and a minor book rest member 9 which members are`pivotally connected together by hinges 10 secured to their endportions. Said hinges may have extended pivot pins 11 bent downwardlyand upwardly to form a loop through which a screw 12 may enter the endstrips 6, as shown in Fig. 3, thus fastening said book rest members tothe base Vof the device as will be understood. For retaining said bookrest members in the closed position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,a spring snap member 13 may be secured to the outer edge ci the majormember 8 and a corresponding snap member 14 may be secured to the minormember 9, and said snap members may catch on pins 15 secured to the baseflange strips. A notch 16 may be provided in the edge of the rear angestrip 6 for insertion of the users nger in opening the book rest member8. Small rubber bosses 1'7 may be secured to the bottom of the baseboard 5 and serve as rest cushions for the device.

For the purpose of holding the book rest members 8 and 9 in the raisedor open position a 65 bracket support 18 is disposed transversely of thebase board 5 and hinged thereto at 19 so that said support may be foldeddown as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The top edge of said bracketsupport is cut in V-form whereby it retains the book rests 8 and 9 inthe raised position as shown in Fig. 2. A bracket nger 20 may be pivotedat 21 to the upper end portion of said bracket support whereby the bookrest member 8 may be raised slightly higher if desired and as 75 shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2. In using the device a book or periodical isplaced on the raised book rest members in the open position and with itsbottom resting on the minor rest 9 and its two open sides or backsresting on the major rest 8. For the purpose of holding the book leavesor pages down on both sides of the open book I have provided springbracket clips 22 which I will now describe.

There are two bracket clips 22 made of spring 85 metal wire and bentupon themselves as shown in the drawing. The extension arm 23 of saidclips has an upturned stop end portion 24 and said clips arefrictionally and slidably retained by guides 25 that are integral withplates 26 90 which are each secured to the underside end portion of theminor book rest member 9. The inner reach 27 of said clips engagesagainst the leaves of the book on each side of the open book and thushold the leaves down. Said clips, being made of spring wire, permits theleaves to be readily slipped from under one clip and placed under theother in reading a book 'and turning its pages. When the pages becometoo bulky on one side of the book the clip on that side may be pulledoutwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and the clip on theother side may, of course, be pushed inwardly to hold the pages. Whenthe device is not in use said clips may be pulled outwardly, pivotallyturned until they are in a plane parallel with that of the book restmember 9, and then pushed inwardly so that, when the book rest membersare closed down, the clips will be concealed.

For use in holding newspapers and other large 1'10 periodicals, I haveprovided a pair of extension arms 28. As shown in detail in Fig. 4, saidextension arms are pivotally and slidably mounted in bracket bearings 29that are secured to the outer and under edge portion of the major bookrest member 8. A pivot pin 30 extends through said brackets and intosaid member and passes through a slot 31 in the inner end portion ofsaid arms. This arrangement retains the extension arms in the outwardlyextending position. To fold these arms inwardly against the back of themember 8 they are pulled outwardly until the pivots 30 contact with theends of the slots 31 when they are pivotally swung to the foldedposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a book holder that iscompletely oldable` within itself. The barcket support 18 folds downinto the bottom of the device carrying the nger 20, the clips 22 foldunder the book rest 9, and the extension arms 28 fold under the rest 8.All of the members are invisible when the device is closed.

I claim:

1. A book holder comprising a base board having upstanding ianged edges,a major and a minor book rest member pivotally connected together and tosaid upstanding flanged edges, said two book rest members serving as aclosure for the base and its flanged edges in their lowered position, abracket support hinged to the base and foldable therein, and the topedge of said support cut in V-form whereby same is adapted to supportthe book rest members in a pivotally -raised position when said bracketsupport is raised to a vertical position.

2. A book holder compri-sing a base board having upstanding anged edges,a major and a minor book rest member pivotally connected together and tosaid upstanding iianged edges, said two book rest members serving as aclosure for the base and its anged edges in their lowered position, abracket support hinged to the base and foldable therein, the top edge ofsaid support cut in V-form whereby same is adapted to support the bookrest members in a pivotally raised position when said bracket support israised to a vertical position, spring bracket clips pivotally andslidably connected toV the bottom of the minor book rest member andadapted to yieldably hold the pages of a book down when a book ispositioned on the book rest members, and means whereby said bracketclips are folded flat against the bottom of the minor book rest member.

3. A book holder comprising a base board having upstanding flangededges, a major and a minor book rest member pivotally connected togetherand to said upstanding flanged edges, said two book rest members servingas a closure for the base and its flanged edges in their loweredposition, a bracket support hinged to the base and foldable therein, thetop edge of said support cut in V-form whereby same is adapted tosupport the book rest members in a pivotally raised position when saidbracket support is raised to a vertical position, and a finger bracketpivotally connected to the outer end of the bracket support and adaptedto support the major book rest member at a position higher than it issupported by the main bracket support.

4. A book holder comprising a base board having upstanding flangededges, a major and a minor book rest member pivotally connected togetherand to said upstanding flanged edges, said two bock rest members servingas a closure for the base and its flanged edges in their loweredpositlon, a bracket support hinged to the base and foldable therein, thetop edge of said support cut in V-form whereby same is adapted tosupport the book rest members in a pivotally raised position when saidbracket support is raised to a vertical position, and a pair ofextension arms pivotally connected to the bottom of the major book restmember and foldable thereunder.

RAY W. MASON.

